Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH, considers this statistical data as a fair indication that the trade has accepted this event as an excellent marketing tool. “These figures prove that the international appeal of the two events in Cologne has grown even more and that the fair duo is, without a doubt, the most important platform for the domestic as well as the international market”. Dirk-Uwe Klaas, Managing Director of the Federal Association of the German Furniture Industry concurs with this. “We already had very high expectations of the fair and even they were exceeded. We are happy about the increase in national and international industry visitors and are starting the 2015 furniture year very optimistically.” Hans Strothoff, President of the Federal Association of German Furniture, Kitchens and Furnishing Retailers believes that the fair exceeded retailers’ expectations.